I love both Montepulciano Rosso and Cerasuolo style wines. I’ve said many times that both the variety and the style (and this goes for the Cerasuolo style’s Sicilian cousin, too) remind me of the beaming sunshine of southern Italy. Both the beauty of the places and the juiciness of the wines can only but make you smile.
Read MoreI would think Alsace would be more appreciated in the US considering how the US loves richness stemming from viscosity. Yet whatever the textural appeal, Alsace often has what is for most US imbibers an odd earthy element. Typically, that aromatic deepens as the wines become older. However, these three Grand Crus seem to defy the stereotypes.
Read MoreIt is such a shame that the wine world these days makes a proclamation on a vintage just as it slides out of its fermenter into an aging vessel. (In fact, it’s often done well before.) Dialed-in wine lovers know it’s absurd, but many still dose-up on the fear of buying the wrong vintage. A fine example is Bordeaux’s 2011 vintage, which is still a bit tight and wound-up, yet it is opening up now to offer some excellent, mid-term drinkability.
Read MoreCopain Wines mix European stylistic sensibility with Californian fruit. To add a layer of complexity, these wines are made in Healdsburg, one of Sonoma’s sweetest towns, yet none are made with Sonoma fruit. Alas, it’s hardly the first time something in the wine world has seemed contradictory. What is utterly clear with Copain Wines, however, is that they are supremely delicious.
Read MoreThe world is awaiting the release of Beaujolais Nouveau, but there's cracking good Beaujolais of all sorts and deeper dimensions ready on your retail shelf now. Here are just a few examples, and each is well worth the few extra bucks. Santé!
Read MoreChâteau La Grande Métairie 2014 Entre-Deux-Mers: Youthful, fresh and exuberant, this 56% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Sauvignon Gris and 9% Muscadelle blend is the epitomy of bang-for-the-buck, true-blue Entre-Deux-Mers. Its producer is neither trying to make it a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc nor is it “oaking-it-up” to try to make a flashier, less characteristic wine for the appellation.
Read MoreThe 2009 vintage was a killer year in Bordeaux, appealing particularly to those palates that love blockbuster wine styles. Declared the vintage of the (still-very-new) century before the grapes were even off the vine, the prices rocketed into the stratosphere. Yet, relative bargains from well-known appellations can be found. Here are two I recently came across.
Read MoreGarofoli 2012 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Podium: Though three years old, this Verdicchio has an impressively pale straw color. Mostly matured beyond primary fruits, smoky minerality, wet slate, damp wood and fresh mushrooms accent its light grapiness. The lingering finish and tight structure suggest this will keep improving through 2017.
Read MoreIt’s rather interesting to have a partner at home that takes on the challenge to rate wines, seemingly for the sake of figuring out where his palate stand versus mine….
Read MoreChâteau Tanesse 2012 Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux: Nuanced, if hardly subtle, the wine smells of blackberries, loganberries, blueberries, briar patch and smoked beef. This wine is one of many that proves that the various “Côtes” appellations of Bordeaux make for excellent drinking while sparing the wallet.
Read MoreChâteau de Portets 2011 Graves: This deep, scarlet-colored wine is a sultry one. Its bouquet is smoky and briary and has a sexy, rawhide intrigue.
Read MoreChablis trumps the Côte d’Or in 2012 whites. While Chablis also experienced hail, it came in April before the berries set. This reduced the crop size from the very start - earlier-harvesting areas lost anywhere between 5 to 10% to up to 30% in the Grand and Premier Crus.
Read MoreThe wines of these terroirs represent some of Burgundy’s best values, and Burgundy is in sore need of values. The occasional gem that will age to benefit is a both a steal and a prize.
Read MoreBordeaux was incredibly calm during this year's en primeur campaign. Winemakers and châteaux owners seemed more doting and a few almost seemed to be pleading for the thinned crowds of visitors to give the vintage a chance.
Read MoreThe reds from this difficult, low yielding year are compelling and well worth the investment of money and time. Nevertheless, they are charming today. The whites from the Côtes de Beaune can be tricky as they tend to show the effects of hail strike more overtly with hints of tannin.
Read MoreThis is a charming vintage that is ready to enjoy immediately. Given the unusually cool vintage, the wines are lower in alcohol. They are not, however, lacking in ripeness. Reds and whites are equally compelling, and most wines will be best earlier rather than later.
Read MoreMy one global comment is that the 2012s from Niederösterreich are absolutely delicious!
Read MoreRotgipfler and Zierfandler, not Riesling and Grüner Veltliner, were the local whites that flowed into the Habsburgs’ crystal. These largely off-the-radar white varieties hail from a thermal region, also known for its spas, just south of Vienna.
Read MoreBriefly, for the uninitiated: “orange” wines are made from white grape varieties. Rather than discard the skins once the juice is pressed from the grapes, the skins and juice remain together during the fermentation and aging processes. This contributes the orange color to the wines, along with tannins and denser texture, the latter two characteristics more akin to red rather than white wine.
Read MoreI took away two things from that evening. First was the deep impression Gerko’s open-mindedness to winemaking experiments in a very traditional region left on me. Second was my deep desire to convince him that fermentingin oak would leave less of an oak imprint on his Rieslings. (He seemed to think this was a rather far-fetched idea, but it is absolutely true.)
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